Levine Discovered Unpolished Gem

The 300 students in the Grant High physical education class were indistinguishable in their white shirts and light gray shorts.

Howard Levine called roll and Mike Charleston, a long-haired freshman, answered, “Here.”

It was the opening week of school. Until students were separated into smaller groups, they sat around doing nothing.

“The only thing I did in class was take one lap to see how fast we could run,” Charleston said.

Charleston was 6 feet 2, shy and looked like a skateboarder.

“I had long hair, cuff pants, skateboard shoes,” he said.

Levine, the school’s basketball coach, received a tip from another student that Charleston used to play in a park league.

“I asked, ‘Why didn’t you try out for basketball?’ ” Levine said.

Charleston didn’t know.

“Do you want to try out?” Levine asked.

“OK,” Charleston said.

Three years later, the 6-6, 195-pound Charleston has become the best basketball player ever plucked out of a P.E. class at Grant. He averaged 8.1 rebounds last season as a junior. This season, he has the skills to develop into the top player in the Sunset Six League.

“We transformed a skateboarder into a basketball player in 48 hours,” Levine said.

Charleston is a coach’s dream. His hustle and all-around skills are exceptional.

His versatility makes him a dangerous player to defend because he can score inside or outside. His passion to execute fundamentals brings a smile to any coach.

“There are no little things,” he said. “Everything is important. When you’re playing defense, the guy will shoot it and run under the hoop, but no matter how far he gets, I’m going to box him out and make sure he’s not getting the ball.

“If I have to, I’ll put him in the wall.”

Dirty work doesn’t bother Charleston. Some players are afraid to take charging fouls. Not Charleston. He thrives on taking punishment. He took more than a dozen charging fouls last season.

“There’s always a little bit of acting involved,” he said. “Referees are human beings. They’re going to look at your fall. If you act hurt, they’re going to sympathize with you.

“It’s definitely an art taking charges. The most important thing is you can’t be afraid. You just cover yourself and let the defender come to you.”

Charleston started playing basketball in a park league when he was 9. He didn’t score his first points until the final minute of the final game.

“I scored two points the whole season and I still remember that first basket,” he said. “I was down court, wide-eyed and my teammate looked like he was hesitant to give me the ball. He passed it to me and I made a layup. From there, it came naturally for me. The next season, I was averaging 10, 11 points a game.”

So how does someone who’s played organized basketball for years fail to try out for the high school team?

“I think sooner or later, I would have tried out for the team,” he said. “I was thinking about playing, but I was a little shy.”

Everything changed when his friend, Mike Shabtai, who’s known Charleston since kindergarten, pointed him out to Levine.

“I’m thankful he asked me to play,” Charleston said.

Charleston made sure his younger brother, Anthony, a freshman, tried out. And he’s preparing his 8-year-old sister, Danielle, for the day she tries out for basketball.

He no longer has a skateboard, his black hair is closely cut and his shyness has disappeared.

“Now I’m not afraid,” he said. “Basketball changed my life.”

*

It’s always great when an athlete who doesn’t initially pass the “eyeball test” established by scouts ends up becoming a college player.

Brad Boyer of Camarillo is on his way. So what if scouts didn’t invite him to play this fall on one of their elite club baseball teams? He’s going to be Camarillo’s smaller version of Joe Borchard.

Boyer, a 5-foot-11 junior, had 25 catches for 446 yards in football. As a point guard in basketball, he’s an excellent ball handler who’s cool under pressure.

Then there’s baseball. As a sophomore shortstop, he batted .378 with 11 doubles and four triples. He’s fast and has terrific hand-eye coordination.

Boyer had no business even thinking about playing scout ball this fall as a three-sport athlete. That nobody wanted him was no big deal. In a matter of months, when people see how well he throws and hits, his phone won’t stop ringing.

He’s part of an outstanding group of junior shortstops that includes Jamie Mah of Sylmar, Jimmy Rohan of Valencia, D.J. Milones of Chaminade, Ziggy Campos of Birmingham and Christian Hariot of El Camino Real.

*

How respected is junior quarterback Ben Olson of Thousand Oaks? The baseball team asked him to autograph a football, which they intend to auction off starting at $150. That’s a bargain price considering Olson’s bright future. . . .

Monte and G.C. Marcaccini , former Notre Dame basketball players, are living out their childhood dreams by playing professionally in Italy. Monte is based in Naples and G.C. is playing in Rome. . . .

If first impressions mean anything, Canyon administrators made a good hire in selecting 24-year-old Chad Phillips to coach the boys’ basketball team. He has the Cowboys playing hard and smart.

*

Eric Sondheimer’s column appears Wednesday and Sunday. He can be reached at (818) 772-3422 or eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.